The effect of exercise in patients awaiting bariatric surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effect of a preoperative exercise programme on cardiorespiratory fitness, resting metabolic rate and autonomic control in patients with severe obesity awaiting bariatric surgery.
IRAS ID
273319
Contact name
Daniel Martin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2019/12/10, UCL Data Protection Registration Number; 130811 , EDGE ID:; 12477/002, UCL Project ID
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 3 days
Research summary
Obesity is becoming an ever-greater problem for society which has led to an increase in scientists trying to fathom how to tackle this global issue. The scientific literature reports a wide range of ways for people to effectively lose weight; from lifestyle interventions, such as diet or exercise programmes, through to surgery for the severely obese. However, long-term maintenance of weight-loss is often not successful as weight often returns. The reasons for this regain of weight over time are not fully understood but may be related to changes in hormones and metabolism that favour weight regain through an increase in appetite and reduction in energy expenditure.
One of the relatively untested areas of obesity interventions involve efforts to attenuate the changes in metabolism that promote weight regain. Addressing this component of weight loss programmes may help to achieve long-term improvements in metabolism, body composition, weight and health.
The aim of this project is to understand the impact of a structured personalised exercise program on fitness and metabolic rate. We shall test our exercise intervention in patients awaiting bariatric surgery for obesity at UCLH. Study participants will be randomly allocated to either receive or not receive the exercise intervention during the four-week lead up to surgery. We will measure physical fitness, metabolic rate, and how the heart responds to hormonal changes (the sympathetic nervous system) in all participants, before and after the four-week study period. We will also follow each participant’s journey through surgery and determine whether the exercise intervention led to differences between the two groups after surgery in terms of weight loss.
This study should inform us as to whether or not the addition of a structured exercise programme in the preoperative period results in improvements in fitness and metabolic rate and weight before surgery and weight after surgery.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EM/0230
Date of REC Opinion
10 Nov 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion